Badgers are a more cohesive group this season

Numbers don’t tell the entire story for Brock men’s basketball, who has already topped their win total from last season with six games remaining on the schedule. Sitting at 16-2, a win away from being the number one seed in the OUA west division for the playoffs, the Badgers are different this season than a year ago. They’re younger, more skilled and more comfortable with each other

“When we do have to [substitute] guys in and out, we don’t experience as much as the highs and lows,” said forward Trevor Thompson.

If there’s one person that can compare the 2016-17 Badgers to this seasons team, it’s Thompson. The Burlington native played for the Guelph Gryphons for three seasons before sitting out the 2015-16, which led to him transferring to Brock for the 16-17 year. Thompson sat out the first half of this season to focus on school, but his competitive nature brought him back to the team for the final stretch of the season.

In what was considered his last university season last year, Thompson started in 17 of the 19 games he played for Brock. Averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 rebounds.

“Trying to find my spots out there,” said Thompson, about his role with the team. “Not trying to do anything that’s not in my game.”

Thompson has now played seven games with this years Brock team, averaging relatively the same numbers from a year ago, but he continues to do his part to help the team by rebounding, setting good screens and being physical on the defensive end.

Now with six games left on the schedule and playoffs around the corner, does Thompson see a different Badger team from last season?

“The skill set is very similar, but it’s more how we play as a cohesive five on the floor,” he explained.

He see’s a lot of similarities between the two teams, but Thompson said with Cassidy Ryan being in his second season has helped Brock. Also, the young guys are coming along as well.

“I followed them in the first semester,” Thompson said. “It seemed like they were still trying to find their way. Now they fit very well.”

The Badgers had their best game of the season this past weekend, beating Waterloo by 43, which was a season-high. The teams 101 points tied their season-high from earlier in the season versus York.

Johneil Simpson led the way with 27 points — becoming the 10th player in Brock’s program history to score 2,000 points. Dani Elgadi, who started the game on the bench, scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Ryan and Daniel Cayer added 17 and 12, respectively.

Six games remain for the Badgers, with four on the road. Brock has already beaten those four teams, by a score of 10 or more points, and none of their remaining opponents but one has a record better than .500.

If the game versus Waterloo was any indication, the Badgers are starting to turn it on for the playoffs, taking no opponent lightly.

About Satbir Singh

Satbir Singh is the 2018/2019 Editor-in-Chief of The Brock Press while balancing his final year at Brock University in the Labour Studies program. Formerly the Sports Editor, Satbir's passion goes beyond athletics as writing has become a part of his life. This is his fifth year working with The Brock Press and third as Editor-in-Chief.